Your VW history and why?
Bug, Baja, Thing and Buggies. Most every thing that will not fit any any other area. See list of other Forums for better topic placement...Volkswagen General DiscussionUsers browsing this topic:
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Why not? Purist aren't the only ones to have a collective brag page. Post your story and pictures. I started one on the Samba as well.

Here's mine:

I learned to drive in 1989 with my Dad's 74 thing that he lifted, big tires, etc. I got MY first VW in 2002. It as a 72 bus for $300 that I learned to tinker on. I sold it 1 1/2 years later. I later picked up a 72 super beetle from a friend because it was a pretty clean daily driver. Picked up a 72 standard that side swiped something with the passenger fenders because it was cheap and the guy wanted to trade for a C10 I had. I baja'ed that 72 and loved it!

As time went on and family grew, I sold the baja and bought a 76 bus that I made into a baja bus. Lots of love in that one, but I regetably sold it around 2009.

Decided late last year to go the baja look again- see a theme here???? Called Bugzylla and asked what he had. I wasn't looking for any particular year. He had a 68 pan that had been converted to IRS. It had a 76 sunroof body on it. No engine. My goal was to have a bug with a fresh rebuilt engine, Transaxle and rewired. The engine that fit my budget was a big bore 40hp he had. 1385cc of raw power... ha! The case was from a 63. This project was starting to look like the PsychoBilly Cadillac.

The rear fenders are >73. Would I do that to an early bug? Maybe. But the interchangability on parts for these cars are awesome. Purist- no, I'm not. But I enjoy my "custom" class 11 bug and get plenty of smiles and waves- except from the purist crowd.

_________________If you blame others when you fail, give them credit when you succeed!

My sister had a baja when I was 9 years old, an orange one with white 7 piece kit. I would say it was a 68-72 from what I remember. My brother had a 56 ragtop baja shotrly after that and he built a 2180 motor with parts from Station 1 and Small Car Goodies (remember those places) and when I moved here in 1985 I got my first baja, a 63 rust bucket.

And of course I caught the bug "bug" after that.

I started building them after that, here is a pic of me in 87, just built a 1641 for a customer.

I got away from the VWs for a few years, and then got back into it in 2005 to build may 66 baja, and it turned into a business. Since then over 100 VWs of various shapes and sizes.

Heres Mine:
It started with my first roll over in 1976.....my Brother and I being just kids (him 4 and me 7).....back then there was no seatbelt!!!!!
This is something that I will remember through my years.
I was sleeping in the luggage compartment behind the rear seat and we landed on ALL FOURS!!!! That fact has marked me for LIFE!!!
I cant remember any VWs after that roll over till ten years later when my father bought us a bug when we were living out in the desert of Eastern Oregon and our mother was working in western.
I was seventeen and Mike was three behind me but too Damn smart rippin engines apart at 14.
We took Tiffany everwhere!!!! And made fan belts outta jeans!!!! HOLE IN THE GROUND there brother of MINE.
At the same time we had a 1961 Toy Landcruiser and Tiff would do everthing and then some with a whole lot less of the cost as that 61 Toy. Even though i miss that JEEP!!!!! I was STRUCK & STUCK right there with the VW!!!!! YEAR 1987. I drove for awhhile at OIT but eventually seized the engine on the Santiam Pass goin and seeing our mother in Western Oregon. Mike my brother was goin to Corvallis High School and working tight with a friend John. Both had the BUG....LOL
Next thing Ya Know we are rollin!!!!
I pick up a 69 sedan for 300.
Rolled it in 1996 after a girl Breakup!!!!
Ill post more tomorrow !!!

To make a long story short.....we have been building volks for a few years. The inherit interest for metal work came from our Grandfather who was a machinist for PAPE' Catepillar.
Working full time for Kettle Foods as a lift truck driver i spend my mornings building and Mike runs the shop as his only business.
This is his DRAG
My current Baja
The Rally Build
Dads 65

And a whole lot more in the backyard that will eventually get worked over

I've grown up in a family very involved in the world of motors and anything that makes power, from drag racing on asphalt, to sand drags, to duning, and everything in between, I've seen a lot of it. A lot of what got me into vw's though was my dad.

Before my grandpa had a sand rail, he had a 69 baja, with a turbocharged v8 in the back seat. Once the sand rails came, the baja got set aside, and we actually still have the same body and pan today, eventually i will use it to build a sand rail out of, just with a baja body on it.

my dad has also owned a few bajas during his younger years.
he bought this one from his cousin, and then fixed it up and sold it.

he later purchased it and began fixing it up. these are older pics before it was "done" but it would end up with lots of chrome and polished centerlines by the time it was finished.

my dad sold the baja and claimed he'd never have another vw again unless it was a notchback. he picked up a 65 about 12-13 years ago, and turned it into this:

i eventually got bored with him having all the fun, and decided i wanted one of my own.
purchased this ugly thing in august of 2008:

for some reason the red flat fender car looks like that one your dad had in highschool. The flat fenders on round bar are a nice touch. And the looks like Jammie in the car...

JWHracing wrote:

I've grown up in a family very involved in the world of motors and anything that makes power, from drag racing on asphalt, to sand drags, to duning, and everything in between, I've seen a lot of it. A lot of what got me into vw's though was my dad.

Before my grandpa had a sand rail, he had a 69 baja, with a turbocharged v8 in the back seat. Once the sand rails came, the baja got set aside, and we actually still have the same body and pan today, eventually i will use it to build a sand rail out of, just with a baja body on it.

my dad has also owned a few bajas during his younger years.
he bought this one from his cousin, and then fixed it up and sold it.

he later purchased it and began fixing it up. these are older pics before it was "done" but it would end up with lots of chrome and polished centerlines by the time it was finished.

my dad sold the baja and claimed he'd never have another vw again unless it was a notchback. he picked up a 65 about 12-13 years ago, and turned it into this:

i eventually got bored with him having all the fun, and decided i wanted one of my own.
purchased this ugly thing in august of 2008:

and turned it in to my baja:

_________________There has been a hostile takeover by an extreme militant group with an unknown agenda, I have lost complete control of AzBaja.com..... ︻┳デ═一

Ok, for me can I say Jim Hopper & Todd. (Not sure of his last name.) And one other guy had baja painted to look like the Blue,red yellow logo strips from Hot VW in Highschool Auto shop (1983). This started me on the baja idea Trail

My boss and I built a Yellow 1835 BP baja 1 summer in the early 80's (81 or 82)

After the Military (1991) my Budy Eric Hearing from Highschool had a 72 1600 Baja.

1992 or 93 My 76 Trans AM that I left in Hawaii found it's way back to Arizona. (Left the car on purpose. it was a rust bomb). I ended up trading it for the Half Street half somthing bug with a 1600dp in it. The engine got stolen out of the car on Friday the 13th. So it got replaced with the 2.3 ford and a Cage added too it. Brandwood Cars did the work, Jim also built a Pinto powered rail for my Uncle in the 70's. That is how I ended up hooking up with Jim Cunigham.

As for the rest of the story...I have had My Baja from Around 1993 and was driving it full time in 1994.

_________________There has been a hostile takeover by an extreme militant group with an unknown agenda, I have lost complete control of AzBaja.com..... ︻┳デ═一

Well for as long as I can remember I've been bouncin around in the back of my dads 64 convertible baja bug. In I believe 2001 he picked a 66 bug that had been wrecked in the front or back, it got chopped into a baja and everything from the vert went onto the 66. After several years, the 66 was given to my grandfather from my father and the convertible was back into the picture (sorta). Ounce we moved down here to AZ my dad ended up with another 64 (normal sedan) baja we were building up for my sister and a 77 bus for my mother. Dad ended up having to drive the new 64 daily intil he got in a minor front end collision, while the vert was sent back to vegas for storage. We traded the 77 bus in for a down payment on a malibu at the time, and the 64 sedan was sold to Bugzyla (probably scraped by now). Every thing died down til about 2008, when my dad towed the convertible back, and began another rebuild on it. At the same time, my uncle had given my brother his 69 baja to him. Then in september of 2009, we traded a bass guitar for the body and pan of my baja bug. The 66 is still my grandfathers, the convertible is still my fathers and in repair, my bros 69 baja is on the road today, and my 70 baja is still around too my history

One of my sisters had a 63 bug when I was about 7 or 8, then my brother had a early 70s bug when I was about 13. When I was 15 I bought a 68 bug from a neighbor that had an engine fire. I did some work to it but never got it going. A friend sold me a 71 Super baja minus the engine but with a lot of extra parts...never drove it either. I bought a 67 bug from another neighbor for $100...minus the engine. I did the bodywork on it in my driveway and left it in primer. I then bought a 71 standard that had been hit front and rear from yet another neighbor (bugs were everywhere in the 80s). I drove the crashed bug...ok, I graffit'ed the hell out of it and thrashed it for a couple of months until I broke the trans on a stump. It survived me rolling it and many other trail expeditions.

So, I took the 1600dp and put it in the 67 and drove it (normally) for a few months. I missed the off-road aspect so I bought a '70 baja from a used car lot. I lost the 1-pc front end on the way to the dentist one day.

I sold the 67 to help fund it. Then I bought a nice sandrail (minus engine) from the same person I bought my first bug from. The buggy was setup for a Pinto engine. I then bought another rail that ran but had trans issues and a cracked & twisted frame. I gave the 71 super baja to a guy for helping me change everything over to the nice rail. I also picked up a 64 bug parts car from the guy I bought the 67 from.

I had moved out of my parents house but still had all my bugs there. My parents told me to get them all gone so I scrapped the 68 (first bug) and the 64. I sold the rail frame to a guy for $150 and he still owes me $50 (20 years ago...don't think I'll see it). I told the dealer to come get the white baja after it sucked a valve and they wouldn't work with me on the weekly payment. I was a kid (19 at this point) an still not a mechanic (still not today). So, all I had was the yellow sandrail. I played with it for a while and then traded it for a '81 Ramcharger on 12.50/36s. I had picked up another '70 baja with a Thing front beam, ghia discs and KYB shocks. I loved that car. I ended up trading it to my brother for a paint job on the baja (was orange & primer)

I bought a stock-ish '62 bug when my first son was born and my wife drove it for a while until I sold it to a buddy for $800.

I also sold my beloved blck & white baja because it wasn't practical and I needed the money. That was the first car I built from the ground up. I was 22. I bought my old 67 back along with a crusty 66 body. I traded them and $125 for a '59 double cab project.

Oh, I forgot a 76 standard bug I bought, drove for a few months and sold again. The double cab sat at a shop my brother used for a few years before it was hit with a skidder and destroyed. I never even got to see it before they scrapped it (I was living a couple hours away...it caused some family issues for a while) Anyway, I was itching for another bug so I bought another primered 67.

It was my daily for about a year. Then I bought a pair of oval projects (55 & 57 ragtop). Once again my finances forced me to sell the ovals. In 94 I bought a custom '70 bug.

I wrecked the 67 but it wasn't bad. I parked it at my mom's house along with a '65 ragtop (obviously grafted) I bought, and all my parts. By this time my finances were better but I had a tenant trash my rental property and needed cash quick, so I sold my 67 and my 65.

I drove the 70 until 1998 when it blew the third junkyard engine. I sold it to a guy for $200. It was sporting a 65 front clip and Porsche 2-liters at this point. He put it back to stock, switched out the shaved doors even. I bought a 86 jetta, then a 91 GTi, a pair of 87 jettas and a 85 jetta coupe. I drove the 86 for a couple years and sold the rest.

This takes us to about 2000.

_________________You can usually find me at:www.volksrods.com
Last edited by bugdust on Sun Dec 30, 2012 06:04 AM; edited 1 times in total

The jetta was replaced by a pair of Toyota pickups and an F150 but I needed another VW. My wife and now 2 sons got me a 69 baja for Father's Day. It was a pile with the engine in boxes, etc. But, it got me started again. Suddenly I had a 74 standard I converted to a baja
and 68 vert project, a 65 baja I parted out, a 69 RHD suicide-doored bug
a 67 sunroof, a 65 bug, 59 & 63 bodies, a 56 I parted out (took me 20 yrs to buy it, not worth having once I got it) and a 74 bus...and another sandrail. I sold my house and had to store and sell 10 VWs!!

After getting settled in the new place, I saw a glass buggy while delivering pizza (2nd job). I bought it and it came with another shortened chassis. I picked up a Spatz buggy body right after that from the guy I sold the last 65 bug to.

After enjoying the yellow buggy for a while I sold it to a guy in Miami and traded the purple buggy for a purple 63 ragtop project. I also bought a rusty, hacked 60 euro ragtop with a 68 clip and 70 pan

I cut up the blue one and kept the purple one for a couple of years. It finally got sold to a local guy and he made a volksrod out of it.
I bought a 64, then a 67 that I redid. The 64 was for my son but he lost interest.
64 after serious work
67 after redoing most of it, my daily for a while

I also picked up a couple more buggies from a guy...sold them as a pair soon after getting them both going again

I also "flipped" a 64 baja and a 74 vert around this time

I may have my order mixed a little? Anyway, I bought a 60 single cab but a buddy had to have it so I didn't have it long.

I started building myself a volksrod but gave it away when I got out of bugs (into buses)

I also had a 62 ragtop that I was going to build but I traded it for my 13-window deluxe
Somewhere in there was a 62 vert that I should have kept

and then another 67 bug that I lowered, added wheels, redid the engine and drove a while before trading it for a 67 westy

Then I got into buses...
traded the 62 ragtop for this 13w deluxe project. It was all apart. I welded in floors, did bodywork and put it all together
I drove the 13-window for a while before selling it after I got my first 67 westy

traded the red 64 for a 67 kombi, which got sold

I picked up a 69 westy before the 13-window and then sold it when I got the 13

The first 67 westy got totally redone to decent driver status. then, in a moment of stupidity I sold it to a guy in the UK

I'm sure I have missed a few. I don't have pics of a few of the older ones and only unscanned 35mm pics of some. I know I forgot a red 74 baja and a blue 71 super I had. I think I have had eight bajas (5 drivers, 3 not), four 'glass buggies (3 drivers, 1 not) and four sandrails (2 drivers, 2 not). I have also owned a few parts cars and bodies, etc that I don't count. I think I'm somewhere around 60 VWs since 1985.

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